Lake Titicaca – South America’s “Rock Puma”

Lake Titicaca, one of South America’s most recognizable landmarks, is located on the Peru-Bolivia border in the Andes Mountains. Visitors to the lake continue to discover that as expected, this basin’s location and surrounding vistas are some of the most impressive in the world. The origin of Lake Titicaca’s name remains unknown, although it has been translated a few ways, including “Rock Puma”, which comes from the lake’s unique shape that looks very much like a puma chasing a rabbit. Lake Titicaca’s altitude of over 3,800 meters makes it one of the highest navigable lakes on the globe, and in terms of water volume, it has the most of any lake in South America.

The lake’s history is nearly as fascinating as its geographic location, and as travelers visit Lake Titicaca, they immerse themselves in a place that was very sacred to the Incas. The Incas credit the lake as the location where the world was created, when the god Viracocha emerged from its waters and made the sun and the stars. After this, Viracocha created man before eventually walking across the Pacific Ocean; he then wandered the world as a beggar and taught people many lessons. According to the Incas, Lake Titicaca was possibly also the birthplace of Manco Capac, a very famous person in Inca legends, and this is another reason that the lake always had a great deal of importance in the Incas’ lives.

As Lake Titicaca tourism has continued to increase, the artificial floating islands (called “Uros”) draw fascinated travelers that come to the lake to discover its rare beauty. The Uros are man-made, and are built from floating reeds. Although the islands were originally built for protective measures, they’ve recently become very unique destinations for people visiting Lake Titicaca. Some islands offer the chance for visitors to walk through the villages and to spend the evening enjoying home-cooked food and traditional dancing.

So those that decide to visit Lake Titicaca have the opportunity to discover a place that like many locations in South America, is both beautiful and richly historic. The Incas credit the lake with the creation of the world, and Lake Titicaca continues to satisfy travelers as they explore the breathtaking Andes region.